The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a power distribution system, and more specifically to a power distribution system having at least one capacitor bank and at least one voltage regulating device.
Power generation systems produce two power components. The first component is real power that is measured in watts, and the second component is reactive power that is measured in volt-ampere reactive (VAR). Both of these power components need to be generated by the system and transmitted to a service customer. This is because real power is used to drive loads such as incandescent lighting, while reactive power is used in the operation of magnetizing currents in devices such as motors or transformers.
In the US, the required voltage delivered to the service customer by the power distribution system typically ranges between about 114 and about 126 volts. Sometimes a utility provider might want to conserve energy, especially if incentives are provided for energy efficiency. In this example, voltage delivered to the service customer is typically maintained as closely to 114 volts as possible, while also having as little voltage deviation as possible. One approach for maintaining the voltage delivered to the service customer as closely to the required reduced value as possible is by employing a scheme that is commonly referred to in the art as a Voltage and VAR Optimization (VVO) scheme.
A VVO scheme typically employs a load tap changer (LTC) and/or a voltage regulator (VR) installed in the substation and infield voltage regulators and capacitor banks. For example, the amount of active and reactive power needed by the power distribution system can vary depending on the time of day as well as seasonal changes. As a result, sometimes using the VVO scheme may not always results in energy savings.